title: Prenatal diagnosis, fetal surgery, recurrence risk and differential diagnosis of neural tube defects.
abstract: Prenatal screening with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and ultrasonography have allowed the prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTDs) in current obstetric care, and open spina bifida has been considered a potential candidate for in utero treatment in modern pediatric surgery. This article provides an overview of maternal serum AFP screening, amniotic fluid AFP assays, amniotic fluid acetylcholinesterase immunoassays and level II ultrasound for NTDs, prenatal repair of fetal myelomeningocele, recurrence risk of NTDs, and differential diagnosis of NTDs on prenatal ultrasound.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. cpc_mmh@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Chih-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis / Q000379:methods; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000201:enzymology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D013624:Taiwan; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase